The Alley Outside of 7/11: An Anthology

by The Red Parade

sobriety test

Strawberry Sunrise hated apples. This was a well-established fact among the Ponyville farming community. So the fact that she had shown up to the Sweet Apple Acres Establishment Anniversary Party (hosted and named by Pinkie), it caused some heads to turn.

Strawberry herself didn’t know how she let Roseluck rope her into this. “You know I don’t like apples,” she had said. “Why would I go to a party at an apple orchard?”

“Just come,” her friend had insisted. “It’ll be fun!”

She doubted that, but she gave in and went anyway. She was not having fun. The pegasus sighed, meandering through the throngs of ponies at the orchard.

Strawberry Sunrise hated going to parties. She quickly grew bored of listening to the other Apples drone on and on about what they were doing, and ended up following Roseluck around absently. Eventually, this too failed when Roseluck got caught up in a drawn out conversation on flower types with Lily and Daisy.

With a defeated sigh, Strawberry made her way over to the concessions table, spying some bottles of hard cider. Strawberry Sunrise hated apples, but she was so bored that she didn’t care anymore. As long as it was alcohol.

Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, she snagged a bottle under her wing and headed off. She remembered there was an old barn on the outskirts of the farm, a perfect place to be alone.

The pegasus left the gathering unnoticed, trotting down the path through the orchard for a few minutes before finding the old wooden structure. It’s red walls had long since faded, and the white paint had chipped away with time. But as Strawberry gazed upon the structure, she realized there was a color out of place: a splotch of green against the sea of red.

Strawberry Sunrise hated interacting with ponies. She only really did so when necessary or unavoidable. So it irritated her that even out here she would be denied solitude. The yellow earth pony didn’t seem to care, sitting with her legs dangling off the side of the roof.

Something about her was familiar. Strawberry swore that she recognized the mare from somewhere. She glanced up the path, weighing her options. With a defeated sigh, she glanced up at the mystery pony.

“Hey!” Strawberry called out.

The mare’s ear twitched and she looked down at Strawberry. She raised a hoof hesitantly.

Strawberry’s eyes widened as she saw her face. She did recognize her.

“Hey, you’re Apple Fritter, right?”

The mare nodded, confused.

“I’m Strawberry Sunrise. We met at the bake fair last year?”

A realization dawned on Apple Fritter’s face, and she nodded again.

“What’re you doing up there?” asked Strawberry.

The mare blinked, then made a series of strange gestures with her hooves.

Strawberry raised an eyebrow, before remembering something Roseluck had told her. “Oh, right, she can’t talk.”

An awkward silence fell over the two. Strawberry didn’t know much about Apple Fritter, but Roseluck had told her some stories. Strawberry wasn’t a genius, but she had a pretty good idea why Apple Fritter was up there. “You, uh… you doing alright?” asked Strawberry.

Apple Fritter pointed to herself, then shrugged. Then she pointed at Strawberry.

“Me? I’m doing okay, I guess. Just kind of got bored of the party. Wanted to be alone,” Strawberry replied.

The mare nodded in understanding.

“Do you remember me at all?” asked Strawberry.

Apple Fritter nodded, her green mane bobbing up and down. She pointed at Strawberry and then rubbed a hoof on her stomach.

“Oh, you liked my tarts?” guessed Strawberry. When Apple Fritter nodded, Strawberry laughed. “Oh, thanks. Your fritters weren’t bad either.”

Strawberry Sunrise hated apples. But somehow, she enjoyed the fritters she had eaten last year. She could never quite figure out why, and had always been meaning to ask what made them so good.

Apple Fritter smiled. She bowed her head in thanks and then tapped a hoof on her cutie mark.

“Well, I guess it does fit you,” chuckled Strawberry. She flicked her eyes up the path towards the party, but didn't see anypony. When Strawberry looked back at Apple Fritter, the earth pony’s smile was gone. She stared at the ground, a contemplative look on her face.

“So, uh…” ventured Strawberry. “You mind if I come up there?” She remembered the bottle under her wing and pulled it up. “I have drinks!”

Apple Fritter raised an eyebrow, but nodded. Strawberry grabbed the bottle in her mouth and quickly flew up to the roof, landing besides her.

“Wow. Nice view from up here,” Strawberry said, placing the bottle on the roof’s flat surface. She rubbed a foreleg awkwardly, silently hoping that another pony would come walking down the path.

Apple Fritter shrugged again, still looking at the ground.

“You come up here often?” The question went unanswered. “Do you live around here?” Apple Fritter’s ear twitched but again she didn't answer.

Strawberry sighed and picked up the bottle. “I don’t have any cups, but… you want some?”

Apple Fritter turned away from the ground and shook her head.

“Right, you probably have unlimited access to this stuff. Since it’s made by your family and all.”

At the word ‘family,’ Apple Fritter cringed, and a pang of guilt struck Strawberry’s heart. “Oh… sorry, rough topic?”

Apple Fritter glanced towards the party and shook her head again. Strawberry took a half-step forward and felt her hoof touch something. Looking down, she saw a notebook laying on the roof. Strawberry picked it up and offered it to Apple Fritter. “...you want to talk? Or… write, I guess?”

The mare stood still for a second before accepting the notebook. She scrawled out a message and held it up for Strawberry to see. Did you want to be alone? I can leave if you want.

“No, no, that’s fine. You were here first. If anything, I should leave,” Strawberry answered.

Apple Fritter shrugged. What do you want to talk about?

Strawberry’s eyes fell to the roof and she rubbed the back of her head. “Well… you, I guess.” She took a moment to consider her options before speaking. “I remember you had a hoof in a sling when I saw you last year. What happened?”

Apple Fritter blinked before replying. Fell off the roof. Accident.

“Right… are you, y’know… feeling okay?” asked Strawberry, looking up at her again.

The mare frowned, and Strawberry thought for a second that she had ruined everything. I’m okay, I guess. Just been going through some rough times lately, Apple Fritter eventually wrote.

“Something about your family?”

Apple Fritter shrugged. They're not really doing anything wrong. They just can’t understand what I’m going through. It makes it hard sometimes, when they expect so much out of you, and they can’t understand you’ve already given it everything.

Strawberry quickly nodded and lowered herself into a sitting position. She gestured to a spot next to her. “You want to talk about it? I’ll be glad to listen.”

Apple Fritter raised an eyebrow skeptically but obliged. It’s just a lot of stuff’s been happening. I’m getting older. And it still doesn’t feel like I’ve done anything useful. Cousin Applejack’s saved Equestria more times than I can count. My brother founded an entire town in the middle of nowhere. And I’m stuck as a small town baker who can’t talk. I don’t know. Life’s just stopped being fun lately.

“Yeah, I can feel that too,” Strawberry answered. “I remember once last year when I lost my entire crop to bugs and bad weather. The month before, I just figured that everything was going just fine, you know? I mean, I was even thinking about ordering that new dress I’ve always wanted… funny how things change so fast, huh?”

Strawberry Sunrise hated analogies. She thought they were overrated and stupid. But now seemed like a perfect time to make one. The pegasus sighed, running a hoof through her mane and looking up the path again. “Berry Punch made a good analogy for it. She said that just when you’re getting drunk and having fun, life comes along to sober you up.”

A small smile formed on Apple Fritter’s face, but it quickly fell away. I just want to feel something again. But it’s like I can’t. Baking isn’t making me happy. Family isn’t making me happy. My friends aren’t making me happy.

Strawberry Sunrise hated thinking. She’d always been a mare who spoke her mind. But this time, she considered her next words very carefully. “Sometimes… I think sometimes life just goes like that. Where you just go around doing what you’ve always done, but it doesn’t feel the same anymore.” She paused, biting her lip before continuing. “And sometimes… sometimes it takes a lot to feel something again.”

A silence settled in around them. Neither of them moved for some time.

“But… sometimes, it’s not a bad thing to do something different,” Strawberry said slowly. “Sometimes a bit of change is exactly what you need.” She rubbed her foreleg again and looked into Apple Fritter’s eyes. “Last year… it wasn’t an accident, was it?”

Apple Fritter just gave her another sad smile.

Strawberry hesitantly put a foreleg on Apple Fritter’s shoulder. She was caught off guard when Apple Fritter pulled her into a hug. Strawberry blinked in shock before she automatically started patting her on the back.

She felt a few wet spots on her chest where Apple Fritter had pressed her face.

Strawberry Sunrise had no idea what she was supposed to say in this situation. So instead she said nothing, letting Apple Fritter cry into her chest.

Eventually, Apple Fritter pulled away and wiped her eyes with a foreleg. “Hey, I’m glad to listen to you and everything, but… I think you should talk to your brother about this,” Strawberry said gently. “Or somepony more qualified, anyways. There are ponies out there who can help you more than I can.”

Apple Fritter nodded before reaching for her notebook again. Can you stay awhile?

Strawberry chuckled softly. “Sure.” As she settled in again, she grabbed the bottle of cider and popped the top.

The two ponies settled down on the roof, setting their gaze over the orchard one more.

Strawberry Sunrise hated sentimentals. She thought they were sad, sappy, and stupid. But the early evening sunset was making her feel nostalgic. It reminded her of a song she used to love as a foal… how’d it go again?

She couldn’t remember. But it didn’t really matter. Strawberry glanced at Apple Fritter, who was looking up at the sky with a wistful look on her face. She wasn’t okay. She wouldn’t be okay for a long time. But at least for now she felt a little bit better.

Strawberry Sunrise hated apples. She hated their look, their color, and their taste. But as for the ponies who grew them… well, maybe she’d come to like them after all.